Thoughts on Lg 34UM88

[cadefoster]

I'm looking to upgrade my monitor and thinking about going with a 34' 1440p Ultrawide. The model I've been looking at is the Lg 34um88 as it seems to offer pretty good specs at a relatively modest price. The only real drawback is it's only 60hz but that doesn't bother me much. I'd also like to stick with a flat screen as I don't think I will like curved and most ultrawides seem to have a curved display. Anyone have any experience with this model? or thoughts on a better alternative? I'm only using a gtx 970 right know so I know high framerates are out of the question, but I plan on upgrading whenever NVidia's new gpu's are out. Doesn't make much sense to me to spend a premium for a 1080ti when hopefully new cards are just around the corner.

Win 10
Asuse Prime Z270-A
i7 700k
gtx 970
12gigs ddr 4
Corsair 750w Gold psu

 

[King_V]

The 970 will struggle at that resolution.

Out of curiosity, do you specifically want that high of a resolution, or would a 2560x1080 work if it was 34"?

Reason I ask is that I got for my son the LG 34UC79G (reviewed here) - and despite the lower resolution and thus lower pixel density, the display is quite good.

I like curved screens, but that particular LG seems to split the difference. It's curved, but only very slightly so. Also, it tends to go on sale for notably less than the price stated in the review.

It's a very nice screen - and, the FreeSync pairs well with the AMD video cards.


But, I wasn't sure if you needed the higher resolution or were specifically looking for that particular size in ultrawide

Or, since you're sticking with Nvidia, wanted to get a Gsync monitor. That you're fine with a limit of 60Hz suggests that Gsync might not matter (but helps keep things smooth if things dip below 60). Gsync does command a price premium, though.


I also got for my brother an LG 34UB67-B. Again a 34 inch, but it's flat, but has neither Gsync nor FreeSync. However, it offers refresh from 56 to 75Hz.


I, uh, realize I'm asking more questions than providing answers, aren't I?

 

[WildCard999]

That LG 34UC79G is a awesome monitor for the price.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/lg-34uc79g-34-inch-ultra-wide-freesync-monitor,4891.html

But if you don't want curved and want a res that works better with that 970 I'd go 34"/2560x1080P/75hz.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Monitor: LG - 34UM69G-B 34.0" 2560x1080 75Hz Monitor ($339.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $339.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-04-05 16:20 EDT-0400

I have the 29" version of this and I absolutely love it for the games that natively support 21:9.

Either way if you go 3440x1440P or 2560x1080P your still going to love it, I don't think I could go back to 16:9, ultrawide FTW!

 

[cadefoster]

Thanks for the input. From what I've read, a lot of people feel 34' is too large a screen for 1080p so that's what i'd like to go with a 1440p display. I understand my 970 with struggle at that resolution but as I say, I do plan on upgrading to nvidia's latest offering whenever they come out.

In a perfect world, i'd love a monitor with gsync but everything I've seen costs considerably more then the LG.

 

[King_V]

Comments that say 34" is too large for 1080p should be taken with a grain of salt.

On the other hand, comments that say 1080p is fine (which I would say) should ALSO be taken with a grain of salt.

Everyone's eyes are different - while it's sometimes hard to find such places, depending on your location, when it comes to monitors, I would strongly, STRONGLY recommend going to a shop that has them on display. I went to a Microcenter, which was a 45 minute drive for me, just so I could sit down in front of a few monitors and get a feel for how they looked at various resolutions and sizes. It was well worth it to see what felt comfortable for my eyes, versus anyone else's.

For the record, also, I have a FreeSync monitor, and an Nvidia video card, so mismatch there. Also, my monitor is a higher resolution for its size than I would've preferred were it strictly personal use, but I needed the extra resolution for work purposes.

 

[Icehearted]

I'm currently using the 34um88C

Windows 7
Asus Prime Z370-A
i7-8700k
ASUS 1080ti
32GB DDR4
Corsair RM650X

I had to cut a couple of corners, like skipping on Gsync, if I wanted to upgrade to a better monitor, and because of my work I figured flat would be more agreeable than curved. Outside of the obvious difficulty at rendering at this resolution for intensive gaming, there are a few things to consider (one of which is why I am here now, actually).

First, they aren't kidding about needing power to fuel a monitor of that size, but even then it is also about how well coded the games are. Plenty of games have run exquisitely on my new hardware (it has been a HUGE leap from my previous e7200/6580HD,8gb setup. I was used to playing tings on lower settings, so the leap is really huge. That said, even on max settings, some games just refuse to play nice, even older games, but it all depends on how well coded it is. The Witcher 2 ran like garbage, GTA4, garbage. Hitman Absolution ran perfectly, Arkham city, perfectly, Watch_Dogs was excellent.

Long story short; that 1080ti will help, but only depending on how well the games are optimized. This was something I learned on my older hardware as well.

The other thing to consider, which I why I'm poking around here, is the Display PPI is fruity. at 100% things are very small, and it is tough on the eyes. At 125% it's too big, and there are artifacts. I have tinkered a little with scaling in FireFox and found that 110% is too small (and inch comes up to 7/8ths of an inch) whereas 120% is around 1 1/8th inch. I'm thinking 115% is the sweet spot, but no idea on how to set scaling to this, at least in Windows 7 (I think 10 may have a small program for that).

It is a strain on the eyes when reading, but the added PPI/DPI looks fantastic in games.

Final note; my first purchase had a small but noticeable lighting defect (a wide darkish vertical spot off center of the monitor). I purchased through BuyDig, and they were cool about an exchange, so the replacement is working excellently. It is a great choice if you are willing to go without G-sync. I couldn't justify paying $1,000 or more on a monitor, especially given some of the issues they can have with the tech inside (coil whine, fidgety settings, etc). I'm sure ideally it would look great, but the monitor without Gsync cost me less than $500, and that was money I could put into my system. If HDR and other display fanciness comes of age soon, perhaps it would be worth the added price for me (subjective), but for now I am very happy with what I have. Limiting to 60fps is a first world problem I don't mind having, and settings like V-sync in some games eliminate tearing completely.

Best of luck to you...

...and sorry if typos; it's so late, and I'm beat.